By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE –
ZAMBIA will be among 54 African countries that will converge back to the birth place of the All-Africa Games (AAG) in Congo Brazzaville today with the opening ceremony billed for the New Kintele Stadium.
The President of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso will officially open the 11th edition of the pan-Africa Games that will also mark the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the African Union (AU).
Over 7,000 athletes will do battle for honours in 20 sports disciplines that include athletics, badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling, football, fencing, gymnastics, handball and judo.
Other disciplines are Karate, petanque, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling.
Sports Minister Vincent Mwale is heading the Zambian delegation that will see 58 athletes lead the country’s quest for medals in six disciplines – boxing, handball, swimming, judo, weightlifting and athletics.
The swimming trio Matthew Shone, Ralph Goveia and Shane Weltin will kick-start Zambia’s campaign tomorrow knowing that the country missed out on medals in the 2011 edition staged in Mozambique.
With the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in sight, there will be no margin of error for the seven buoyant boxers, who step into the ring on Sunday with Coach Kennedy Kanyanta eyeing success.
Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Boas Munyonga and Matthews Punza, who have been receiving high-level training in Uzbekistan, will be looking forward to maintain Zambia’s good record that has seen judokas haul 11 medals since the Games’ inception.